The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-04-29
An Easy Time.

\ GU u0nC have much 20 do
just stand at the window, cOnn
out stamps, and take in the money
''That's all-save the little item
of making correct change every
time"
"Oh, of course. But that isn't
much.'
"NO, not much, though some
times halt dozen people, all in a
hurry, want stamps at the same
moment
ayes, to be sure. You must bt
busy at times, say early in the day,
or at Christmas and Easter. But
most people could do the WORK, with
a little practice
ayes, practice Is great thing.
But Pve been stamp clerk for ten
years, and yet yesterday made a
mistake in counting out small
number of One.cent stamps. Still,
as you say, practice Is great thing"
"Well, should like your place,
that's all. 1t can't be very hard to
sell postage stamps"
"I wish you had it, as you think
it SO easy. But should you try it a
day, you might think differently"
This conversation between two
acquaintaces occurred in Il city
post Office a year ago. ThhsAehalge
which has brought about a new
administration removed about a
month age, ,the old post-office clerk,
rtird Installed the other man in his
place. The old clerk was not dis
charged for iucapacity, but removed
to another part of the Office to do
higher work.
The new clerk entered on his du-
ties, the first day, with a feeling
that selling stamps was a diversion
suited to his genial temperament.
He hadn't been at the window an
hour before he was a sadder aud a
wiser man.
A woman came mp and wanted
thirteen cents NOIth of twos aud
ones, half aud half, seven postal
cards, and a package of twO.cent
wrappers. She had nothing smaller
than a fve.dollar bill.
When the clerk recovered from
the temporary slow fever into which
this episode threw him, there was a
big crowd waiting outside, aud all
he could hear was
"Twenty.fvecenls' worth of twos,
please.' package postal cards."
dollars worth stamps, quick !"
''How much'll that takeR Goih' to
"Nuff stamps on that,
ley 7" "Gimme two twos aud
.hree ones, will youf Pm in a hur.
W
The young man nerveusly count.
ID out stamps, weighed packages,
the printed schedule for
ates in foreign countries, and per
pired freely. Geld chills ram down
lis back, Tor he had a vague idea
# giving somebody seventy-fve
entS' worth OF stamps for fifty
entS, and of selling a package of
'oStal cards for halfprice.
The crowd at the window did not
Iminish, but grew. The forenoon
'ent slowly by, and the demands |
)r all sorts OF queer combinations
! the way of stamps increased. A
IAN finally came up in a great hur-
Y, and threw down a handful of |
,ose silver and nickelS aud coppers,
nd asked for,--
Twenty seven ones, sixteen cents
orth OF twoS, two aud half pack
ges of postal cards, and the rest
! twOS and one-cent wrappers"
The new clerk choked down a
ig word or two, mOpped bis brow
erv0usly with sheet of stamps,
I'd began counting out a package
stamped envelopes, government
ficial size.
"How many did you sayr
elbow many what n
"Envelopes."
"Envelopes I 1 don't want any
lvelOpes Twenty seven ones,
xteen cents worth of twOs, two
Id a half packages of postal cards,
I'd the rest in twos and one-ceut
That's what want, aud
a big hurry, too. Got to catch a
ain"
"Sixteen cents worth of twos ?"
"Yes, l said so r.
sOh, well, all-all right. There
"a are. And-and how many
les ~
"Twenty-seven. Come, hurry
J."
"Twenty-seveu twenty seven.
We times five is twenty-five, and
70 is seven-twenty seven. Twen-
seven. And now tue rest in en- ,
Hopes, did you say 7"
''EnvelOpes l don't want any {
velopes Has the Government
It bankrupt stock on hand I
wing you a commission to sell 'em
r. One cent wrappers is what l 7
ant.p I
"HOw many ~ 9
@How manyi Well, give me just
e. Perhaps you can count that c
{ straight, lsarcasticallyl. q
A one cent wrapper is two cents.p Q
8 All rightl ] eau stand it If you
M
allow many packages cf postal Z
rds 81 '
''Never mind. can't wait here g
day. Besides, there's a crowd ]
here stretching way round the Z